US Defense Secretary Urges International Community to Provide Ukraine with Artillery Shells and Air Defense Systems

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said after a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine that the international community should provide Kyiv with artillery shells and air defense systems to prepare Ukraine for winter.

Austin added: “Today I am asking ministers to take another look at our stockpiles of 155mm missiles and key air defense and interception systems to ensure we are doing everything we can to prepare Ukraine for winter.”

The Pentagon chief commented on his expectations after the meeting, which was attended by the heads of defense departments of 50 countries, saying: “I am confident that they will come back and do more.”

Western countries are seeking to add fuel to the fire by supplying Kiev with long-range weapons, as a number of US and European officials said US President Joe Biden’s administration is considering supplying the Kiev regime with long-range guided surface missiles.

French President Emmanuel Macron earlier announced that his country had decided to provide Kyiv with new long-range missiles that would allow Ukrainian forces to carry out “deep strikes” against Russia.

In turn, French parliamentarian Marine Le Pen said that the decision to provide Ukraine with long-range SCALP missiles, which are produced jointly by France and the UK, is considered an irresponsible step on the part of President Emmanuel Macron.

It is noteworthy that Russia previously sent a memorandum to NATO countries, criticizing the supply of Western weapons to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any shipment of weapons to Ukraine would become a legal target for the Russian army.

Source: RT